Woman pulled from Patapsco River, 2 men dead

Investigators said they got a 911 call about two men and a woman being in the water around 6 a.m. in the Port Covington area of south Baltimore.

BALTIMORE -

Two men are dead and a woman survived after being in the Patapsco River early Sunday morning.

Investigators said they got a 911 call about two men and a woman being in the water around 6 a.m. in the Port Covington area of south Baltimore.

Police found a 24-year-old woman holding onto a pier. Fire crews pulled her from the water and took her to a hospital, where she was treated and released in good condition.

Crews from the U.S. Coast Guard, Maryland State Police aviation unit, Baltimore City and Anne Arundel County marine units, and city fire and police responded to search for the men.

Crews brought in sonar equipment to scan the area where the men were last seen. It took nearly five hours for rescue crews to find their bodies.

The men were identified on Dec. 27 as Edwin Rivera, 35, and Herry Alexanfer Vega, 29.

Investigators are trying to figure out how the group got into the water in the first place. Initially in a 911 call, someone told investigators the three people may have fallen off a ship in the area, but that doesn't appear to be the case, police said.

The area where the men went under is very industrial in nature and secluded. Crews said the water wouldn't typically be desirable, especially this time of year.

"(In) that area, the water itself -- even on the calmest day -- is very hard to see in, and it is very cold during the winter time. It's not like Ocean City water, especially not in December," Baltimore City Fire Department spokesman Ian Brennan said.

There was no word on whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the incident.

Stay with 11 News and wbaltv.com for more details on this developing story.

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